The Captain America Experience
by Cinderfire16
Summary: No one ever challenged his brothers, but Steve has gotten better at dealing with idiots who thought they could push him around and get away with it. With war in full swing, Steve's chances to prove himself have increased significantly! If only his oldest brother wasn't eternally determined to get in his way. Part 1 of Brothers in Arms.
1. Chapter 1

_"We are Pack, Socren. Why don't you understand?" A small, blonde boy boy with bright blue eyes trotted to keep up with a dark-haired boy with hazel eyes. The dark-haired boy, Joclar, was trying to impress upon his younger brother the importance of the life they lived._

 _"Of course we are Pack. We are littermates, Brother. That is one of the closest parts of Pack there is. What do I not understand?"_

 _"Not just us. Everyone."_

 _The blonde boy stopped short, eyes narrowed._

 _"Even Atros?"_

 _"Especially Atros."_

 _"But he_ _ **hates**_ _me!"_

 _"_ Father _hates you. All he can do is follow along."_

 _"Right." The scrawny blonde sneered. "He wants me dead, Joclar. I see it even if you don't. I bet he'd be so ecstatic he'd dance on my grave. He wouldn't even bother to fake a proper howl he'd be so happy."_

 _"If you keep that attitude, no one will howl for you. Least of all Atros." The younger of the two hissed in shock and froze, despite his brother's intentions. The Alpha's wife, Watren, had no love for any child not her own, and Socren was a Runt to boot. The assembly horn broke through his thoughts._

 _"The Feast begins soon. You two will sit next to Atros when the time comes." The woman ordered. Joclar nodded, but Socren spluttered._

 _"But... I can't-." The Alpha Female's expression darkened, and she brought Socren to her level with a tug under his arms._

 _"Do you challenge me, boy?!" She hissed, obviously struggling. He could hear the slight pant in her voice, and it brought him great joy. He dared not to show it, though, keeping his face solemn._

 _"Of course not, Lady Watren. I shall do as you say."_

 _"You better." She growled, dropping him with a huff and stalking toward the ceremonial table. They followed shortly after, Joclar hissing insults in his ear._

 _"You do not go against the Alpha's Female, no matter what you believe to be right! Zalcre will surely have your head!"_

 _"Let him." Socren sneered. "It's not like he hasn't wanted me gone from the start."_

 _Joclar couldn't respond as they took their seats, but shot him one last glare as they sat on either side of their older brother. Atros was still, watching the proceedings with the eyes of a statue and only moving to greet his younger brothers._

 _"That was not wise." He murmured, when Socren brushed against him to sit down._

 _"I care not what you think." The sickly boy scoffed, a hint of a wheeze in his voice._

 _"I-."_

 _"Should pay attention." Socren offered, motioning to their father's waiting gaze. Atros nodded and got to his feet._

 _"Whatever happens, we'll always be brothers."_

 _That was no comfort to the younger blonde._

 _"People of the Pack, of the Community, as you know, I cannot remain Alpha forever. My firstborn had returned from the trials all future leaders must face, those of strength and intelligence, and I am proud to say that he has passed with flying colors. As such, it is Atros who will take my place as head of the Pack and leader of the Community."_

 _Zalcre stepped aside and the young man in his wake faced the cheers of the people._

 _"All hail Atros, long may he reign! All hail Atros, long may he reign!"_

"Steve?!" He jerked awake at the sound of his name and nodded to the woman who sat a seat away. The car was halfway to the testing site, he realized with a jolt _, and Peggy was staring at him._

"Fine." He snorted, recalling her words. The most beautiful woman on the planet and she, like everyone else, was more concerned that he wouldn't make it _to_ the procedure, much less _through_ it. He began to recount his many adventures with a dark humor, scorn flashing through his gaze. No one ever challenged his brothers. He saw no pity in her eyes, though. He didn't know what the look was.

"You don't give up easily, do you?" She muttered.

"You run away and they'll keep after you. It never ends well, that way. Fight back, stand your ground, you have at least half a chance. That's all I'll ever need."

The young man had won many a fight that way, but for every victory, defeat was imminent.


	2. Chapter 2

The large, dark-haired male found his brother talking to Erskine as things were being set up for the proceedings.

"Anthony!" The German doctor had long been a favorite of his, right up there with his mentor, Howard Stark. Speaking of, the three of them would be monitoring the process as it went along. If he were to hand his brother over to the care of another, he would have some role in how that went. "This is Steve Rogers."

He was just as scrawny and determined as the last they'd seen each other two years prior.

"Well met, soldier." He purred warmly, clapping a hand on his brother's shoulder. Socren scowled and failed to step around it, barrelling into his brother with all the force of a freight train the size of a newborn kitten.

"So this is where you've been all this time." His youngest brother mused. "Get to play with all the shiny toys, did you?" Steve snickered as he circled his older companion.

"Yes." Tony grumbled. "You're too heavy for piggyback rides, so don't bother."

"I'm never not going to ask for one, so get over it."

"You gonna be this big a baby when they put you on the front lines?"

"Of course not." Steve smirked. "I gotta be smart about it. Blonde or not, I got more than fluff between the ears."

"You wouldn't have made it this far if you didn't." Tony conceded softly. Steve dodged his upcoming noogie and stepped back to stare at his brother.

"You don't approve." He muttered, voice flat.

 _ **I'm not of any influence and we're not related.**_ "I can't tell you anything that will change your mind."

"But you don't like it."

"If anyone can get through this procedure, it's you. Just get through it."

"Think of it this way. Now I can actually put up a fight."

"That's what I'm afraid of." He groused. "Far be it from me to stop you doing what you want."

"Exactly." Steve snorted. "It'll be fine." He assured his brother. "You and Stark have checked the math and Erskine is brilliant enough that it's worked before. I can do this." He insisted.

"Yeah, sure thing."

Erskine gestured to the machine and Tony nodded.

"Here goes. Godspeed, brother." The engineer offered.

 _ **May the Norns be with you.**_ Tony muttered

 **Whatever happens...** Steve insisted.

 _ **Always.**_ Tony swore.

* * *

They must have taken out half the power grid before the gunmetal coffin opened. Steve hopped down from the machine to find Agent Carter with a look that had, until now, been reserved for his brothers. He felt about the same, if healthier. He could finally breathe without the wheeze that accompanied it or the rattle that shook his once-scrawny frame.

He felt... fuller, like there was more to him, but not much changed for him otherwise.

"How about a shirt, Agent Carter?" Phillips snorted, a hint of a smirk in his voice. He accepted the procurement gratefully and scanned the crowd for his brother. Atros, or Anthony, as he goes by now, nodded his approval.

 _ **Well done, little Duke.**_

He nodded back, a slight smirk appearing when he realized that they were far closer in size than they'd ever been before. The moment of pride was cut short, though, when a familiar scent reached his nose. Of all the chemicals and medicines that filled the air, poison and gunpowder should not be among them.

"Get down!" Tony snarled, having come to the same conclusion. It was too late, though. The gun went off and the assassin was able to escape in the mass confusion that ensued. Erskine's last words made him snarl inside. What kind of Wolf couldn't protect those he cared for?

The thought had him racing through the streets, Agent Carter on his heels. He barrelled through crowds and narrowly avoided a shop, chasing the murderer down to the docks. What he saw froze him to the core. The assailant held a little boy in a chokehold, sending them both over the edge before he could stop or cry out. Luckily, the boy returned to the surface and paddled to the half-bridge. By then, Steve had followed the man to what appeared to be a submarine, punching in the glass and allowing the underwater craft to fill up before dragging the man up to land by the throat and tossing him onto dark wood. The man coughed and spluttered, an effect of the poison in his mouth. He hacked out an unfamiliar phrase "Heil Hydra!" before he was still.

It took Steve a few seconds to recognize the presence by his side as Agent Carter. She bent to inspect the man before cursing verbally. It was just their luck.

What proper Wolf couldn't take his own vengeance?!

 _Keep calm, Socren. That man was simply the messenger. You can take down the leader if you wait long enough._ And oh, how good it was to hear Joclar's voice, even if his brother's words did not abate his anger like they normally did.

 _ **You alright over there, Bucky?**_ Both he and Tony were very interested in their brother's welfare, Steve having not seen him since he shipped out a few months prior and Tony in the two years he'd been gone.

 _As alright as I could ever hope to be. I'm going back to sleep. Congrats on finally getting to the front lines. Don't die, punk._


	3. Chapter 3

Waiting was humiliating. Waiting was dressing up in an extremely tight American flag armed with anywhere from 10 to 20 chorus girls and whatever else was needed for the show, trying to bring some sort of happiness to the dying breed that was hope. Granted these were aimed toward children and the adults knew good and well what was really going on, people came from far and wide to see Captain America punch Hitler in the face and say some cheesy line about how they could save the day with war bonds. Waiting was kissing babies and hugging children, seeing the awe in their eyes as he shook their hands. Waiting was wishing Peggy were around and keeping his brothers' faces in mind as they laughed their way through the next few months. Waiting was tiring, but it had to be worth it. He would get his chance.

In the end, Steve never got his chance. He _made_ it. He made it because no way in all the Realms was he going to let his older brother be strapped to that filthy table any longer than needed, and no one else would go get him.

"What are you going to do, walk to Austria?" Peggy implored.

"If that's what it takes." Steve growled, shoving the army jacket on over his American flag uniform. Tony waited outside, keeping watch for anyone who decided snooping was in their best interest.

"And I suppose you're going as well?" The British Intelligence agent scowled at his older brother.

"Anyone who thinks they can mess with my Pack without crossing me, well they are fools, of course." Tony informed her. "I do not tolerate fools lightly, Agent Carter."

She said nothing about the obvious slip-up, but shook her head.

"If anything, you're the fools. What good will possibly come of this?"

"You told me you thought I was meant for more than this. Did you mean that?"

"Every word."

"Then you gotta let me go."

"Well, there's no need to walk if you trust Howard's flying."

Tony groaned out a few curses.

"We'll take it." Steve insisted.

* * *

It was smooth sailing until they entered German territory, which was when the plane started getting shot at. Predictable, but annoying nonetheless.

"Get out as soon as we're off!" Steve yelled over the sound of explosions and the rickety plane. Howard nodded an affirmative and shot Tony a look before they jumped out. He knew that look and knew it well. It was a look that Atros had worn for one other person, long ago. Steve shook that out of his head and focused on landing as swiftly and silently as they could.

Fortunately enough, they were able to reach the prisoners without problem. Steve's newfound strength and their combined intelligence made for a much cleaner break-out than if he were to do it on his own. Especially since Tony set himself to planning the exit strategy.

He focused on freeing as many prisoners as he could with no regard to who they were. He was looking for his brother, and when someone from Bucky's unit pointed out where they took the middle child, Tony (who had finished with the guards outside and come back in to help with evacuation) charged ahead before the poor kid finished his sentence.  
They found their brother bound to a metal table with thick leather straps, muttering the same phrase over and over again.

"Bucky?!" Steve hissed, alarmed. Tony looked grim and shook his head as he focused on undoing the straps. They got Bucky to his feet and started to walk, despite his groans. They barely made it out the door when a guard yelled for them to stop. Tony rolled his eyes and yanked Bucky onto his back. They made their way toward the roof, what with the guards already chasing after them there would be no use in fighting them all off. One of them was bound to get more injured than they could afford. The self-destruct alarm took care of any guards they previously would have bothered with.

"Fuck!" Bucky cursed. By this time, the soldier was healed enough to run with his brothers but nowhere near the picture of health. Considering his status as a wolf, that said something. They made it to the walkway before everything started blowing up and a few barbed insults later, the man formerly known as Johann Schmidt _ripped off his face_ , revealing the fact that his entire head now shone a bright crimson in the firelight. Schmidt's assistant took the opportunity to pull back the walkway, effectively separating the two sides.

The boys weren't far behind them in getting the hell out of there. Tony waited until Steve and Bucky got over before making the jump himself, the explosions boosting his jump so that he slammed against the far wall, clear of the walkway altogether. They wasted no time in taking off after the madmen, only to find that Schmidt had taken off in his plane moments before and was now too far away for any normal human to bother trying to catch up. It would take a miracle, even by their standards. Bucky snarled his annoyance and they started for the freed prisoners. 30 miles to the base meant no point to bother trying such a feat. They had a long way to go.


	4. Chapter 4

This is where things get kind of weird. The brothers are shapeshifters from ancient days who grew up believing in the Norse gods. In the last part, **Bold** are Steve's thoughts, _Italics_ are Bucky's, and _**Bold Italics**_ are Tony's, who is the Alpha of their Pack and the oldest.

* * *

"Sir, these men need medical attention and I'd like to surrender myself for disciplinary action."

"That won't be necessary, Captain." Colonel Phillips sighed.

"You," He growled to Tony. "Stark needs you in that workshop yesterday."

"Yes, sir." Tony smirked. The scientist's apprentice brushed past Steve, clapping him on the shoulder before he took off.

"Faith, huh?" Philips mused, turning toward an approaching Agent Carter. Peggy nodded to him, but her gaze was all for Steve.

"You're late." She scowled, annoyance making her accent thicker than usual.

"Sorry," Steve smirked, holding up the broken transmitter that Howard have given to him before they left. "Couldn't call my ride."

"Hey!" Bucky called to the men surrounding them as he sidled to where his younger brother stood. "Let's hear it for Captain America!" Steve rolled his eyes and he could hear Tony and Bucky laughing their asses off as the soldiers cheered them on.

* * *

Steve stopped by the command tent to inform Colonel Philips and the others of the map he saw in the base and the other bases on them. After that, they were all but ordered to take time off, so Steve, Bucky and Tony met up with a few of the men they rescued later on at some bar to talk business.

"So, let`s get this straight." Dugan insisted after Steve laid out his plans for a team. "We barely got out of there alive, and you want us to go back?"

"Pretty much." Steve shrugged.

The group, composed of five men, Bucky, Steve and Tony, barely hesitated.

"Sounds rather fun, actually."

"I`m in."

"We`re in."

"Hell, I'll always fight, but you gotta do one thing for me."

"What`s that?"

"Open a tab."

And that was that, apparently.

* * *

Somewhere around midnight found the trio racing through the forest, fur whipping in the wind and stirring up the nearby wildlife. They knew to stay away from predators well enough, even if the brothers wouldn't be hunting. They stopped at a clearing, content in their revelry and the fact that they were invincible, had looked one of Surtr's demon descendants in the eyes and walked out with their lives and their dignity intact. This was most of all a victory because they'd retrieved their brother. The Pack was whole once more, or as whole as it had ever been.

* * *

To say that Peggy was surprised to find that Steve and his friends had disappeared from camp would be lying, because Tony had been doing that a lot, according to what she gleaned from Howard, and Steve had always been uneasy around the members of the camp, but she originally chalked it up to the constant ridicule he received from all sides. How very wrong she was, she mused as she took in the scene before her.

The creatures were large, furry canines, the smallest could dip its head to lay it on the top of hers and the largest would have to crouch to do the same. The middle was somewhere in between, but size wasn't the only thing that set them apart. The biggest had dark brown fur that looked pitch-black in some respects, while the middle one had lighter grey fur that turned more toward silver in the moonlight. The youngest was a deep red that faded to white at the paws. She had no clue where the boys went or what these giant things were doing so close to camp, but she had to do something fast because the oldest, looking far more deadly than she could ever dare to dream, had caught sight of her and now stalked toward her with sharp, gleaming claws and lips parted to reveal knife-white canines. It would take a miracle to get out of this, she realized.

"Peggy?"

And for the love of God, what the hell was Howard Stark doing in the middle of this God-forsaken forest in the dead of night?!

"Did you follow me?" She croaked out, backing toward the trees. The wolf hesitated now, and Howard loped toward her with all the ease of someone who knew exactly what he was doing. The dark brown wolf's hesitation was enough for the red one, because he jumped the clearing in two bounds and stood with his back to her, tail-tip brushing her face as Howard yanked her back. The red wolf sounded like it was whimpering and the dark one was growling, head whipping back and forth in a gesture that was universal to any culture.

"No, no, and hell no." Peggy muttered, backing her and Howard further into the trees.

The dark wolf dodged the red one and made straight for them, but the red wolf yelped and blocked his path. They did this a few more times before the dark wolf lunged for them and snapped his jaws… around thin air, the red wolf barely a centimeter away from those gleaming teeth.

"NO!" Peggy's cry came out a strangled yelp, but the dark wolf shifted its gaze to her and growled, tilting its head to the side. The red wolf yelped and backed towards them, Howard walking her further into the trees until they could barely see the three animals. She breathed a shaky sigh when they were out of sight, but Howard shook his head angrily.

"Bastard's got shit to explain." He growled, not unlike the wolf moments before.

"What?" Peggy hissed. "What are you-?!"  
"Not here, Pegs, and not tonight. I need you to keep what just happened a secret, and I mean a guard-with-your-life, honest to God secret, Pegs. You've done it before."  
Now _that_ was insulting. The engineer who talked a mile a minute flat-out told her to keep her mouth shut? Even at the risk of sounding crazy, there were some things you just didn't say!  
"If anything, I should be telling you that!" She snapped lowly.

"Just…" And Howard looked far too torn up for her to bother staying mad at him. "Please, trust me. I'll explain as soon as I can, but I need your word on this."  
"You have it." Peggy insisted. "Get some rest, Howard. You look far too beat to be healthy."  
"Perk of the job, Carter. Good luck getting sleep tonight."

Oh, like that would happen.

"What kind of madness did I get myself into?" She muttered as she made her way back to her bed.

* * *

 _ **I gave you**_ **one** _**job, and you**_ **failed** _ **! Were you not paying attention, or did you honestly think it was alright for your human to come tromping after us in the fucking forest?! You**_ idiot _ **!**_

 **I sure as Hel didn't see you checking our tracks!**

 _ **Because I trusted you to do it! Now I see why no one ever let you do anything, you worthless waste of nothing!**_

 _He made a mistake, Atros! We can fix this-._

 _ **Do NOT stick up for that Norns-forsaken runt, Joclar! I'm not in the mood to hear your excuses. I want to know why the hell they were after us and why for the scorn of Odin, did you not see this coming?!**_

 **You didn't do anything either!**

 _ **Oh, yes I did. I was testing you, Socren. I trusted you, and that was obviously a mistake. And what's worse is that I went to rectify it and you jumped in front of me like some Thor-forsaken maniac!**_

 **You can't just kill people, Atros! You have no right to choose her life over any other! Why did you stop when I jumped, then? And you were all ready for the Killing Bite. That's the** _ **easiest one,**_ **so you** _**obviously**_ _didn't want to kill her!_ **She doesn't have to die!**

 _ **We can't afford the chance of her mouthing off because you have a crush.**_ Tony growled.

 **Then why did you tell Howard?**

 _What? You told the mortal who's most likely to doom us all and Steve is the one with the problem?!_

 _ **He's a Half-blood, he can't afford to mouth off at the cost of his livelihood, let alone his life.**_

 _You… is he your Charge?_

 _ **Yes, and I've Seen the Wolf he marries. She's a looker, I'll give her that. One of the Italians.**_

 _We haven't had much interaction with them. But if you've got a Charge then why can't Steve take Agent Carter on? She's made it this far. She obviously knows how to keep a secret. What's the difference?_

 _ **She's got absolutely no incentive, save for the word of our brother that he can keep her quiet, and you know that's not enough.**_

 **It could be... If I take her on, it could be. You know how it works, Atros, you know it can happen!**

 _ **Are you truly prepared to abide by Pack Law should your Agent not cooperate?**_

 **I am.**

 _ **Then let it be so. You know the rules, Socren. Don't make me have to enforce them.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Period-typical prejudice on clear display in this chapter and likely moving forward.**

* * *

"You still owe me an explanation." Peggy hissed a few days later, when the Howling Commandos were seen off. Howard nodded as they approached Tony, who stood and watched the trucks drive off.

"Those aren't gonna last long." He chuckled.

"What makes you say that?" Peggy wondered.

"I know my brothers, Agent Carter." Was all he said on the matter.

"You seem far too sure of yourself." Howard muttered.

"Coming from you, that's ridiculous." Tony scoffed, turning on his heel and heading for the lab.

Howard narrowed his eyes and loped after his apprentice, dragging Peggy, who had to break into a light jog to keep up. None of them spoke for a good five minutes until Tony flicked an ear and nodded.

"We're clear." He growled. "How much have you been told, Agent?"

"Not nearly so much as you seem to think." She sneered. "Or you wouldn't be asking, so tell me, what's this all about, Anthony?"

"I'm not going to tell you my life-story, because as fulfilling as that would be, it would take time that we don't have. Long story short, what you saw was real, and they were us. My youngest brother has vouched for your life and is more than willing to take you on as a Charge. Although I suspect his intentions are further than that, he should have the chance to tell you himself. When, if, he does, your confusion should be gone."

"And for now?"

"Lips sealed, Agent Carter." Tony purred solemnly. "I doubt my brother will make it home but I'd hate to see you go with him."

"That's enough." Howard growled, eyes flashing. "She has no more experience than I did when I found out, and that's no reason to threaten her."

"Everybody's a critic." Tony yawned as he got to his feet.

"Why don't you think they'll come back?" Howard asked before Peggy could form the words herself.

"Some things are better left unexplained, but I hope for all our sakes that they make it back on their own two feet."

"Bullshit. You just haven't told him yet. You had time a couple days ago. What changed?"

"We were… distracted, if you do recall."

"Well if your hunch is right, now you'll never have the chance. Nice going, Tony."

* * *

Peggy didn't want to leave it alone, but Tony wouldn't say anymore on the subject and Howard clammed up with any mention of something outside of work, likely Anthony's doing.

She found that there wasn't much to like about him and often wondered how someone as sweet as Steve could be related to such a bastard.

At any rate, she made sure to keep as far away as possible. If she could just get Howard to do the same, maybe she wouldn't feel so uneasy, but it's like Anthony had the man under some kind of spell! Like there was some secret that she was not to be let in on, aside from what she already had been told. It was annoying, to say the least, and she wanted answers.

Since Howard wouldn't talk to her, the only way to get them would be going straight to the source.

She cornered Tony the next day, while the others broke for lunch.

"I don't know why you think you can walk all over Howard and your brothers, but I won't have it." She hissed.

"And what makes you think _you_ have any say?" The engineer scoffed, not bothering to face her.

She squared her shoulders and reached out to grab his arm. This was a man who was used to getting what he wanted, especially from women, as men were prone to do. He took Howard's level of asshole to a whole new level, and she would not tolerate that from someone who was not her superior.

"I don't care what kind of complex you were allowed to foster at home, but I will not tolerate it here. Howard wouldn't shut up before and now whenever you're around, he never talks. And you're _always_ around." She groused.

"I hardly see Howard's decisions as my problem." The assistant offered. "And if you're so concerned, then talk to the man. I can hardly make him do something he doesn't want to."

"I saw what happened with those wolves in the forest, and if what you said is true, then yes, you do have power over them. I've heard stories of your kind."

"Of humans? Of course you have, Agent Carter. That's all we ever talk about, is human history. I would be rather surprised of you hadn't heard stories of mankind." Tony smirked.

"You're controlling them somehow, and it needs to end."

"I can't make them do what they don't want to, Agent Carter. If Howard isn't talking then he's hiding his secrets, not mine. As for my brothers… you shouldn't bother worrying about them."

Peggy narrowed her eyes and pried her grip loose from the young man's arm. Anthony was dangerous, that much was clear, but if his words were enough to go on then he wouldn't harm her.

"I'll take your word for it." She scowled. She turned to leave, but hesitated.

"You'd tell me, if Steve was…"

"You'll be the first to know." Tony assured her.

"Thank you."


	6. Chapter 6

Tony didn't hear much from his brothers after they left. Radio silence all around made him antsy, but no news was good news, and he would know if they were truly dead.

Still, he threw himself into whatever Howard would give him, anything to stave off the utter loneliness he felt, the emptiness that clawed at the back of his mind. He ate when told, hardly then, and he worked.

It was to the point where Howard and the others had set aside a constant pile of scraps in the corner that were there specifically for him to mess with. If someone brought back a strange gun or a fancy piece of tech that they had no clue about, it was immediately dubbed his project. His to break down, inventory, and build back up as he saw fit.

This new phase of his served the SSR well, but others started to worry for the genius.

"Stark, take your boy and get the hell off my base." Colonel Phillips ordered gruffly. "Put the rest of those assistants of yours to some use and have him take a nap or something."

The lead engineer was more than happy to follow those orders, but his right-hand man was dragged away from his work with avid protest.

"What the hell, Stark? Can't you see I'm workin' here?!" Tony spat as his mentor plucked the tools from his hands and pushed him toward the door.

"Yeah well we've been _working_ nonstop for almost half the year. Phillips is demanding that we use our days off."

"Since when do we get days off in war?" Tony sneered.

"Since the higher-ups said so, now get dressed. We're goin' out."

* * *

"Goin' out" was always a good thing in Howard's books.

Sure he never minded staying in his lab at odd hours if he was working a lot, but workaholic he may be, he knew there had to be time set aside to let loose and have fun.

Apparently his apprentice didn't get the message, because while Tony wasn't a complete stick-in-the-mud, he was constantly annoyed by Howard's choice in fun.

Case in point: They went to a bar where the drinks were pretty good and the company was even better. He'd gotten several requests to dance, and Tony had gotten even more.

Dames were into the whole "tall, dark and handsome" vibe he gave off, but he wasn't having it. _That_ just made them flock to him all the more, and eventually he excused himself and walked out of the bar.

The girl (woman, his love-addled mind would supply later on.) Howard danced with nodded to the forlorn young man near the exit.

"Your friend looks like he's lost half his world out there." She offered softly. "I know you're probably trying to help, but maybe it's too soon for him to get back into the swing of things."

"You're right." Howard muttered bitterly. "Thing is, he's all set to work himself to death and I can't let that happen."

"There are other ways to have fun, Mr. Stark."

"Well yeah, he still needs to be around people-. I'm sorry…"

"Maria."

"I'm sorry, Maria, I need to find my friend. Have a good evening." He insisted, pressing his lips to the back of her hand before racing out of the bar.

"Good luck, Mr. Stark." The woman chuckled as she watched her partner bolt after his friend. The man was interesting, she'd give him that.

* * *

Time off didn't last long, but Tony and Howard struck a deal. They would watch each other's backs, eat regularly, socialize to Howard's minimum satisfaction, whatever they did, and Tony would let his mentor know when exactly he felt the need to passively destroy himself.

This lasted for longer than anyone thought it would, because the boys were back by the year's end.

If Tony hadn't been so despondent, Peggy would have long-since told him exactly what she thought of his misgivings. He would have informed her that the war wasn't over yet.


	7. Chapter 7

"Happy birthday-." Was the first thing that spewed out of Tony's mouth upon sight of his brothers. He froze and recounted the men, took in the triumph shown as they delivered Zola that was tampered with grief. They'd lost a man. Worse yet, they'd lost the Captain's right-hand, and that made it even more terrible.

Steve looked the worst for wear, and when he was done with Phillips they loped to an abandoned bar and he slumped into his brother's arms.

"I'm sure you did your best." Tony muttered.

"He was right there." The supersoldier whimpered. "We were hanging off the train and I let him fall to save my own skin. I shouldn't have left him, I could have-."

"Done what? Besides get yourself killed?" Atros demanded. The oldest of the former trio sighed and ran a hand through silver-specked hair. "You did what you could and Joclar knew that. We knew the risks going into this mess. It's war, Socren. People are going to die no matter what you do."

"But why?!" The youngest snapped, wrenching out of his brother's grip and beginning to pace, hands moving agitatedly.

"It would have made sense if one of us missed the window to jump or slipped and fell from the line, but we got there just fine! We fought, we took over the train, _we finished the mission_ , damnit! What the hell was he thinking?!" Steve snarled, tossing a stool across the room.

A startled shriek told the brothers that they were no longer alone.

"Whoever you are, bar's closed." Steve snapped. Peggy stepped into the entrance and Steve deflated. "Then again, I guess you're not here for the drinks."

"Certainly not." The British agent snorted dryly. "Howard didn't know if you wanted him around but he insisted on accompanying me here. He's right outside, if you want to see him." She threw toward Tony. The Alpha nodded, knowing a cue when he saw one. Margaret Carter would do far more good than he, at the moment. Women almost always knew what to say.

"Let me know when you're done. I doubt the brass will let us stay out all night."

"Will do." Peggy assured the older man as he walked out of the abandoned bar.

 **Thank you for letting us have this.**

Tony jolted when he got outside, the soft voice drifting to his ears reminiscent of the young woman that stayed with his brother.

"You lucky dog." He snickered to himself.

 _ **Who am I to get in the way of love.**_ He snorted.

* * *

Howard wasn't far off, as Peggy promised, and he'd found his girl again. Maria turned out to be Maria Carbonell, a young woman around their age whose family emigrated from Italy to the States a generation ago. She was one of the many nurses they let behind the scenes, and how good she was at her job shone through in how she dealt with Howard. Reassuring, yet straightforward.

Yes, they would definitely go well together. All they had to do now was stick together and hope they didn't have any kids. He'd gotten a glimpse of their future, and it was glorious… and tragically short, for a pair of wolves. He wouldn't put any child through that.

"The future is never set in stone." Maria insisted softly, jarring him from his thoughts.

"You are a Seer." He muttered, surprised. Seers were rare, and for two Alphas to have the same gift and be in the same proximity, let alone to actually meet, the odds were ridiculously low.

"But then, we are not true Alphas." Maria smirked. "At least, I am not. I don't know as much about you, Son of Frigga."

"It is impolite to read someone's mind without their knowledge and permission." Tony growled.

"But why would I bother reading your mind when the truth is written all over your face?" Maria grinned sharply. Tony rolled his eyes and glanced at Howard, to find that his Charge was extremely confused.

"Do you two want a room or somethin'?" He scowled, irritated.

"A room with you would be rather interesting, _miei cari_ , but I'm almost positive that we all have work to do. Do we not, Son of Frigga?"

" _I_ have work to do." Tony snorted. "You two are free to do whatever you like."

"Oh?" Maria purred. "Then a room we shall get, Mr. Stark."

Howard raised an eyebrow, clearly torn between staying with his newfound mate and following one of his only friends.

"Stay, buddy. I need someone to keep an eye on my brother. I can handle things back at camp."

"If you're sure." Howard drifted off uncertainty.

Indeed, Tony was. His friend shouldn't miss out on a once in a lifetime chance because he was too worried.

"If you insist, then we shall take our leave. Your brother will be in good paws with us." Maria assured him. "Good luck, Son of Frigga. I hope you find what you're looking for."

"To you as well, _volta e futura_ _regina_. And my name is Atros. You may call me Anthony."

* * *

"What was that just now? He called you the _once and future queen_. What is that, a royal title?"

"You know your languages." Maria murmured, impressed.

"I catch on pretty fast, if you haven't been able to tell." He offered smoothly.

"It's a compliment for those considered disgraced by their Pack… those who have chosen to leave and those who were cast out. It is his way of saying he still sees my worth as a Wolf. Nothing more, nothing less."


	8. Chapter 8

"One of these days, we're going to actually catch up to Red Skull."

"Aw c'mon, Tony. We're doing great." Steve insisted. Things had been going rather well lately. They'd basically wiped the map Steve had originally set up, and now, with the mission to get Zola technically a success, they had an important piece in the game.

"Fuck that, we're not going anywhere with these. For every base they take down and every camp we find out about, there are fifty more that we don't see." Tony scoffed.

"We can't afford to wait for Red Skull to make a move, but what if we could force his hand?" Morita wondered.

"It'd be easier if we knew where that ridiculous fortress of his is. Or, like, his master plan." Dugan scowled.

"So let's find out." Steve growled. "We have Zola. Philips has been talking about putting him to good use; we just don't know how to get him to squeal."

"Leave that to me." Tony sneered.

They had their intel by the next night.

("What the hell did you do to that guy?" Phillips muttered, shocked.

"My methods were completely orthodox." Tony assured his brother's superior. He wouldn't say anymore on the subject.)

* * *

Tony watches from the trees as Steve and his team burst into the stronghold as per their style. They're almost too late, he notes, because Red Skull has taken off toward his plane. But Steve is fast and cars are faster. Tony catches a ride back with Phillips and Carter.

"Is this what you meant? When you said they wouldn't make it home?"

Tony shook his head.

"It was hardly so clear, Agent Carter, but this is war. I had no reason to believe that any of us would come back."

They listened as Steve talked them into putting the plane down, into letting him go.

"Whatever happens, we'll always be brothers." Steve said suddenly. Tony nodded, knowing that the blonde couldn't see him.

"I'll see you soon." The eldest responded.

The transmission went dead not even seconds after that. Lucky for Carter that she got her goodbye.

"Knowing Steve, he'll find a way to get that dance." Tony offered with a dead smirk.

"I bet he will." Peggy growled, glaring at the alpha.


	9. Chapter 9

**Bear with me on the mistakes, guys.**

* * *

Atros prowled the camp and its surrounding forest alone that night, having lost both his brothers and along with them, any hope of peace for the rest of his days. They, along with his dead mate, were all he'd had left. They were his anchors in a world that would otherwise chew him up and spit him back out like it had done so many times before. Gods, he missed Peoria.

 _ **What are your orders?**_

And Howard… having seen how he would go, Atros fought the urge to lock the younger wolf in a giant plastic bubble that he could never find his way out of for the rest of his days. Maybe he'd add Maria when she came around. The she-wolf would understand perfectly fine just how much of a migraine his Charge gave him on the best of days. Never mind that every single one was worth it…

But he had priorities, and those mostly included ending the war. The likes of which Howard Stark needed to be alive and have access to dangerous objects on a regular basis. This was exactly what he didn't want.

* * *

" _ **We'll find him." They stood on a ship at the edge of the world, three months into the fifth set of Searches, when Howard turned to his friend.**_

" _ **I have no doubt you will." Came the response, muttered bitterly.**_

" _ **Tony?" Howard shook the man out of his thoughts and he spoke louder when he realized Howard hadn't heard him.**_

" _ **I have no doubt that my brother will be found, Howard." The man, Tony, informed his friend tiredly. "But we shall not be the ones to find him. Not for many seasons."**_

" _ **Well we have to start somewhere, pal. How is anyone going to find him if they don't look?"**_

 _ **The man, Tony, shook his head.**_

" _ **Your optimism is refreshing." He grumbled, sound muffled by his hands covering his face.**_

" _ **The crew has an update." The man warned. Howard nodded and clapped his friend's shoulder.**_

" _ **You can't give up yet." The engineer insisted.**_

" _ **You are no longer my superior, and this is no longer war. As such, I may do as I wish. You really should see about that update. We don't need this thing to crash into a glacier or something."**_

" _ **This ain't the Titanic."**_

" _ **You're right."**_

 _ **Howard smirked at his friend's affirmation.**_

" _ **We'd be obliterated. Now go."**_

 _ **Howard frowned, nodded and walked away.**_

" _ **How is it that I've managed to lose both of you in less than a year?"**_

* * *

He took Howard's name when it was offered, years down the line, well after Howard and Maria were married and he couldn't afford to be Tony the orphan. Anthony Robinson had to die because humans don't live forever.

Tony Stark rose from the ashes of who Atros had always been, living with his new Pack that consisted of a happy couple and what basically amounted to a grieving widow, even though they hadn't gotten the chance to marry. The Commandos stopped by the mansion throughout years to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries and to make sure no one had gone completely insane. They were brothers, after all.

* * *

He didn't pay as much attention to his friend as he should have, and after what had to be the tenth time the other man fell asleep in his shop, pouring over maps of the Arctic, Tony had enough.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Tony snapped.

"I'm trying to find your brother! You deserve more than what you got. It shouldn't have ended like this, damnit!" Howard snarled.

"No, Howie. That's not… let's go."

"What?"

"This ends now. You need to wake up, Howard. Your science experiment isn't coming back. My brothers are dead, and there's nothing to be done about it. We've spent too long trying to capture the past and now your future is about to walk right out the front door! You can't let that happen. Not when you've got so much to gain."

And his friend had been getting better, according to Maria. Seeming more like the man she first stepped out with. It didn't last.

* * *

They were in the car, driving up a sliver of road that led into a deep ravine. Tony, Howard, Maria, and Jarvis were heading to MIT for Tony's graduation ceremony. It would be the first time he got an education of any sort past the pitiful schooling he'd briefly attended before it closed down in the 30's, and the group had every right to celebrate.

Howard saw the glint of sunlight off metal, and slammed on the gas, jerking the wheel at the last minute.

(If anyone was going to try and end things, it would be him.)

Maria yanked the seat's strap away and threw open the door, letting gravity do the rest.

(Atros would have nightmares about it for decades after, and how he managed to fail both his Packs was completely beyond him.)


	10. Chapter 10

Awareness comes slowly and passes quickly, flashes of light and color ( _so much_ _ **color**_ ) fill his eyes before he can even open them. He knows these are not his dreams. There are too many people he doesn't know, places he's never been to. He's so surprised to be seeing all this that it takes a few moments to soak it in before he opens his eyes. The scents and feelings will have to be enough. This place is strange, and while he was always up for an adventure, he didn't like being trapped.

What felt like hours later, he opened his eyes and looked around. The walls were pale, with no personality whatsoever. The floor was likely made of wood or tile; slick floors are never good to place your paws.

"Welcome back, Captain Rogers." A strange voice offered. He glanced over to find a young woman with pale, creamy skin and brick-red hair with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Thank you," He nodded to the desk. "for turning that game off. It would have done your people no good to try and play me for a fool ."

"Mr. Stark said as much."

"At least he's got some sense. Where am I? And how long did it take to get here?"

"This is the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. We're better known as-.

" SHIELD." Steve chuckled. "I know an acronym when I see one, Miss."

"Agent." She corrected. "Agent Romanoff."

"Sounds foreign." He offered. Her face twitched.

"I defected."

"Meaning..."

"I left Russia as soon as I was old enough."

"Ah, sorry... Afraid I wouldn't know much about that. You mentioned Stark just now. Is he still here?"

"He's in a meeting with Director Fury."

"Tony?" Steve muttered, confused. What was his brother doing involved in all this?

"Kind of." The man before him admitted. "I was named after the man you're looking for, though I'd guess he's been dead awhile."

 _ **Act like you don't know me. We can't be Wolves in this life, and it's been too long to claim kinship.**_

 **You did what you had to. I understand.**

This was… this was… this world was definitely insane.


End file.
